Your Country: South Africa

National College of Ireland (NCI) is proud of its international reputation. With a thriving international community of students, NCI is the perfect location, environment and college to discover your future

The experienced NCI International team (link) will be happy to give you advice on the suitability of your qualifications for your chosen programme of study. Qualifications listed under each section may satisfy NCI entry requirements to that level of study. This is not a guarantee of an offer of a place, which is at the College’s discretion.

A recognised International Foundation course from an Irish/UK institution. Entry requirements vary but we normally ask for between 60% and 65%

Year 1 of Bachelors degrees

Note: If you are studying at one of NCI’s partner Universities we may have an agreement allowing entry into the second or third year.

If your qualification is not listed please contact your local representative or the International Education Office.

Entry onto Postgraduate programmes

If you are applying for a Masters (e.g. MA, MSc, MBA) programme at NCI, you will be required to meet the English Language requirements (link) and will typically have one of the following qualifications:

Bachelor degree from a recognised institution with an award of 2.2 or higher, depending on subject area

HND plus a Postgraduate Diploma with high grades.

Applicants without a first degree but with 5–7 years relevant work experience may also be considered on an individual basis for some Masters programmes

A degree from a recognised South African university may be accepted as evidence of English proficiency for most of our postgraduate

If your qualification is not listed please contact your local representative or NCI’s International Office.

MBA applicants should hold the above qualifications and at least 3 years post-graduation work experience.

Courses may require students who have studied in a cognate area. Please speak to your local representative for further guidance.

Selected courses require students to undergo an interview, either online or in person.

Recognition of prior experiential learning

National College of Ireland operates a scheme which grants formal recognition of knowledge or experience that has been gained from work, life or previous study.

Credit for Prior Experiential Learning is intended for mature students who may or may not have had structured formal education but who have learned from their involvement in employment, community activities, home duties, sport etc. This learning when evaluated might entitle them to credits or exemptions from a course of study. Such individuals might be in employment (including self-employed), unemployed, currently retired from employment or never have been in employment. For more information, please visit the section on RPEL (link).

What to do if you don't meet our English language requirements

We have a range of Foundation and Pre-sessional English language courses to get your English skills up to the standard required for entry to NCI.

NCI has welcomed students from overseas for a number of years and strives to provide the necessary advice and guidance to help make your arrival in the Ireland and Dublin as easy as possible. NCI has developed an extensive overseas representative network offering enquirers and applicants a variety of services:

Counselling in programmes of study and academic issues

Resources and information on courses, accommodation, finance, scholarships and life in Dublin

Help with applying to the College and assistance throughout the application process

Information and advice on NCI’s progression links and partners in your country

Assisting with the visa application process

Pre-departure advice for students travelling to the Ireland

Our representatives in your country

NCI does not currently work with agents or representatives from your country.

If you have any queries about study at NCI, would like to be informed about forthcoming events or are planning to visit us, please email us at international@ncirl.ie

NCI is proud of its international partnerships and has focused on developing strong relationships with partner institutions around the world, offering students the opportunity to study a wide range of subject areas both overseas and at NCI.